Introduction
Just after three am on the morning of March 6, 2010 a fourteen year old boy named Dakotah Eliason, held a gun next to his sleeping grandfather and pulled the trigger, killing him. These actions started with a self debate of suicide or murder. When Dakotah decided on murder his thoughts turned to the best action of murder: gagging his grandpa, using a steak knife, or using the gun he held in his hand. Dakotah choose the gun. (Aviv, 2012, pg.2)
Upon arrest Dakota was filmed singing in the back of a cop car, talking about his father to a cop, and ultametky showing no remores over the action he committed. All of these actions accompanied with the emotional detachment shown during questioning lead to the Michigan prosecution deciding Dakotah would be tried as an adult for first-degree homicide. In Michigan a first-degree homicide charge carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (Aviv, 2012, pg. 1,2). If this situation was a normal circumstance people would think life in prison was a just punishment. Yet, this case is not your normal case, the offender was a fourteen year old boy, who could one day possibily be rehabilitated, and who lacked the mental capsitation to show remorse the way adults would. Sentencing juveniles to life in prions without the possibility of parole seems unjust and cruel. Over the years history has changed public opinion of the punishment, more research has been discovered showing the wrongfulness of the action, which all point to there have been an option for a more appropriate sentence to be given.
History of Juvenile’s and Life in Prison
In the past the United States was once known for being one of the only nations that imposed life without parole sente...
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...me of the trial. Giving Dakohta a more moderate sentencing would not have eliminatated him from escaping punishment but instead, it would give him the oppurtnity and willingness to be rehabilitated.
Also, life without parole for any juveniles is unconstitutional and when sentencing a child to die in prison without even attempting to determine whether they are truly unable to be rehabilitated, the fact that juvenile life without parole sentences violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights party and the fact that the United States’ violation of the Eighth Amendment makes the practice of sending juveniles to life in prison wthout parole very troubling. Also, with the lack of evidence that life in prison sentences hold no deterrent effect on youth, it goes to prove my point and the point of others that this sentencing type should no longer exist.
For a long time, Memphis has been considered one of the United States’ most dangerous cities. When compared to other urban communities of similar sizes, the city in the Mid-South usually tops the list in terms of the number of crimes. Its violent and property crime rates are among the country’s highest, and in the recent years, statistics have shown that they are continuing to increase (Peagler). One specific area of concern regarding Memphis’ crimes is the alarming rate of youth offenders. Like the city’s other rates, the amount of crimes involving juveniles are on the rise, and thus, more effort should be made to prevent young persons from engaging in criminal behavior. The proposed solutions are to demand more beneficial volunteering from
If a family member was murdered, a family member was murdered, age should not dictate if the punishment for homicide will be more lenient or not. If anyone not just juveniles has the capabilities to take someone's life and does so knowing the repercussions, they should be convicted as an adult. In the case of Jennifer Bishop Jenkins who lost her sister, the husband and their unborn child, is a strong advocate of juveniles being sentenced to life without parole. In her article “Jennifer Bishop Jenkins On Punishment and Teen Killers” she shows the world the other side of the spectrum, how it is to be the victim of a juvenile in a changing society where people are fighting against life sentences for juveniles. As she states in the article “There are no words adequate to describe what this kind of traumatic loss does to a victims family. So few who work on the juvenile offender side can truly understand what the victims of their crimes sometimes go through. Some never
Heinous crimes are considered brutal and common among adults who commit these crimes, but among children with a young age, it is something that is now being counted for an adult trial and punishable with life sentencing. Although some people agree with this decision being made by judges, It is my foremost belief that juveniles don’t deserve to be given life sentencing without being given a chance at rehabilitation. If this goes on there’s no point in even having a juvenile system if children are not being rehabilitated and just being sent off to prison for the rest of their lives and having no chance getting an education or future. Gail Garinger’s article “ juveniles Don’t deserve Life sentence”, written March 14, 2012 and published by New york Times, mentions that “ Nationwide, 79 adolescents have been sentenced to die in prison-a sentence not imposed on children anywhere else in the world. These children were told that they could never change and that no one cared what became of them. They were denied access to education and rehabilitation programs and left without help or hope”. I myself know what it’s like to be in a situation like that, and i also know that people are capable of changing even children when they are young and still growing.
For a juvenile to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole is almost to give that child the death penalty, a punishment that was outlawed in the 2005 case Roper v. Simmons. In Roper Christopher simmons challenged his death penalty sentence for murder at age 17 because of his claim that the was an “immature and irresponsible juvenile”. The Supreme Court overturned his sentence, saying that their was a national consensus against the death penalty for juveniles because so many states had rejected that as a viable form of punishment. A life without parole sentence is equal to the death penalty for a juvenile because the child is having any hope of living a semi-normal life terminated at a young age, in this case 14 years old. If this were your child would you want them to sit in jail for the rest of their life, with no hope and no reason to live? Or would you want them to, even if it was an impossibly long sentence, have a least some sliver of hope that maybe one day they will escape the icy hell of the prison walls and feel the sunshine upon their face once again? When the sentence of life with parole is given it is not a guarantee that the person will be let out, it is simply giving them some glimmer of hope and reason to
First off sentencing juveniles without parole should not be allowed to happen because the juveniles brain has not yet matured enough and they don’t think before they act. In the article “Juveniles don’t deserve life sentences” by Gail Garinger he asserts “young people are biologically different from adults. Brain imagining studies reveal that regions of
Crime rates across the U.S. for juveniles is at all time high. Juveniles across all demographic have been punished more severely than those of the past. Contributing factors including lower socioeconomic areas such as the Detroit Metropolitan Areas & Chicago. This paper will discuss the apparent issue within the system focusing on juveniles in urban areas.
There is no doubt that youth justice practises have changed throughout the years, these changes have been made to adapt to the new challenges that present themselves today. Crime in general, but particularly youth crime is a consistent problem for society.
Juvenile do not deserve life in prison, they will not be able to handle it. I agree with the group of judges who believe juveniles to not deserve life sentences. They have a great chance at rehabilitation. It only takes something or someone to help them stay out of troubl
In the article On Punishment and Teen Killers by Jenkins, sadly brings to our attention that kids are sometimes responsible for unimaginable crimes, in 1990 in a suburban Chicago neighborhood a teenager murdered a women, her husband, and her unborn child, as she begged for the life of her unborn child he shot her and later reported to a close friend that it was a “thrill kill”, that he just simply wanted to see what it felt like to shoot someone. A major recent issue being debated is whether or not we have the right to sentence Juveniles who commit heinous crimes to life in adult penitentiaries without parole. I strongly believe and agree with the law that states adolescents who commit these heinous crimes should be tried as adults and sentenced as adults, however I don’t believe they should be sentenced to life without parole. I chose this position because I believe that these young adults in no way should be excused for their actions and need to face the severe consequences of their actions. Although on the other hand I believe change is possible and that prison could be rehabilitating and that parole should be offered.
Many theories, at both the macro and micro level, have been proposed to explain juvenile crime. Some prominent theories include Social Disorganization theory, Differential Social Organization theory, Social Control theory, and Differential Association theory. When determining which theories are more valid, the question must be explored whether people deviate because of what they learn or from how they are controlled? Mercer L. Sullivan’s book, “Getting Paid” Youth Crime and Work in the Inner City clearly suggests that the learning theories both at the macro level, Differential social organization, and micro level, Differential association theory, are the more accurate of the two types of theory.
Even though juveniles brains’ aren't developed at the age they committed the crime, they should be able to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. However, four justices strongly agree, mandatory sentences reflected the will of America society that heinous crimes committed by juveniles should always be punished. The majority of Supreme Court justices who argued to abolish mandatory life in prison for juveniles. Researchers around the world agree with this statement because juveniles don't have a fully developed brain or have rough homes. Many juveniles have don't first degree misers and second degree murders. I stand against abolishing mandatory life in prison. In my opinion Juveniles, depending on the the crime should be sentenced
For example, the court has already struck down the death penalty and the life in prison without parole for juveniles or for young offenders convicted of non-homicide. According to the article, “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life In Prison,” Paul Garinger states that “Brain imaging studies reveal that the regions of the adolescent brain that are responsible for controlling thoughts, actions, and emotions are not fully developed. They can not be held to the same standards when they commit terrible crimes.” If this is true, there is no reason to treat juveniles as adults.
The Justice Department estimates that about 10 percent of all homicides are committed by juveniles under the age of 18. Nearly every year, the FBI arrests more than 33,000 young adults under the age of 18 for offenses (Khan). This clearly shows Juvenile offenders are not taking the justice system seriously. The justice system was created to provide individualized rehabilitation to young offenders that have committed minor crimes. However, juveniles are committing violent crimes because they believe their age will get them off easy. “In order to provide justice to victims and their families and to prevent more and more juveniles from committing violent crimes, the United states must hold criminals accountable; regardless of their age, and impose a tough punishment system. To that end, juveniles should sometimes be tried as an adult.”(Mary). This shows juveniles are manipulating the justice system, and in fact old enough to take responsibility for the crimes they commit. In today society. They are being tried every day in juvenile courts, they are receiving shortened sentences, and they are being released and given a clean slate and the opportunity to continue living their lives in peaceful and happy bliss, all while their victims and their families are left to suffer forever. Because the courts and juvenile rights advocates believe that second chances shou...
Is it fair to give juveniles life sentences? On June 25 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles who committed murder could not be sentenced to life in prison because it violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the majority, stated that “Mandatory life without parole for a juvenile precludes consideration of his chronological age and its hallmark features- among them, immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate the risks and consequences. It prevents taking into account the family and home environment that surrounds him and from which he cannot usually extricate himself no matter how brutal or dysfunctional.” Juveniles should not be sentenced to life in prison or adult jail until legal age. Due to the facts that many are still young and aren’t over eighteen.
Death is easily considered the most ultimate punishment that our government can impose on an individual. Not only because of its violence, but because it is final, and ends all future human potential. Attitudes toward capital punishment vary. Some believe practicing the phrase “an eye for an eye,” as others is totally against it, no matter the circumstances. A number of countries are abandoning capital punishment and following the more human punishment of imprisonment for life, as other countries are increasing its use. The United States is the most prominent of this, executing far more citizens than any other nation such as: Canada, France, Romania, Poland, Italy, Germany, and many others (Kronenwetter, 2001).